INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROJECT
Project: e-METER for Good Governance in Haskovo Region, Grant agreement № BEE.1028.20201202 from 08.12.2020 funded by the AMERICA FOR BULGARIA FOUNDATION under the Program “The Next 10: Supporting Ideas that Matter in the Next Ten Years” in the framework of the Request for Proposals „Good Governance at the Local Level”
Funding program: Program “The Next 10: Supporting Ideas that Matter in the Next Ten Years” in the framework of the Request for Proposals „Good Governance at the Local Level”
Total amount of the awarded grant: 74 500 leva
Grant period: 18-month grant beginning upon signing of the Grant agreement № BEE.1028.20201202
Project goals:
The public procurement market is part of GDP – a resource that must be spent transparently and efficiently. Ensuring equal access and a competitive environment in the field of public procurement is a determining factor in shaping the business climate, increasing foreign investment, stabilizing Bulgarian companies and achieving sustainable economic growth. In this regard, the project formulates Objective 1, namely: Enlighten the environment for conducting public procurement by the Contracting Authorities – local authorities in Haskovo Region by creating an online portal enlightening the environment for conducting public procurement in Haskovo Region with up-to-date and processed information on the announced procurements, the contractors, the concluded contracts, etc., as well as preparation of a monitoring analysis for the public procurements in Haskovo Region, taking into account the data from the developed portal and the Profiles of the buyer of the respective public assignors. Based on the analysis, defined problems and formulated recommendations will be derived.
The project envisages working with the municipal councils in Haskovo region, in whose powers the legislation provides: 1) current and subsequent control over the implementation of the acts adopted by the Municipal Council; 2) contesting the illegal administrative acts, issued by the mayor of the municipality, before the respective administrative court. In practice, there are numerous trainings organized for municipal councilors, incl. those organized by NAMRB, as they are mainly aimed at the implementation of specific newly adopted laws and regulations. In this context and after a number of meetings with representatives of local authorities in Haskovo Region the need was defined for municipal councilors to be included in trainings introducing the effective mechanisms for monitoring and control of municipal policies, increasing accountability in spending public funds and increasing transparency in the work of the Municipal Administrations. This determines the project Objective 2, namely: Increasing the capacity of municipal councilors in pilot municipalities on the territory of Haskovo Region through a series of trainings on the topics: increasing the accountability in public funds spending and increasing the transparency in the work of the public institutions at local; introducing the basic principles and concepts in the field of monitoring of programs and projects; work with indicators and their use in the analysis and evaluation of programs and projects; implementation of the National Communication Strategy; successful implementation of information and publicity measures; best practices for involving citizens in the process of monitoring the activity of the Municipal Administration.
Activities:
Activity 1.: Project management;
Activity 2.: Information and publicity;
Activity.3.: Creation of an online portal to enlighten the environment for conducting public procurement on the territory of Haskovo Region;
Activity 4.: Preparation of a monitoring analysis for public procurement in Haskovo Region;
Activity 5.: Increasing the capacity of municipal councilors from Haskovo Region
Results
1) Contracts concluded with the project manager and accountant;
2) Implemented project organization and project management;
4) Purchased and branded 1 banner for the trainings on the project; ;
5) 5) 5 media publications in electronic media / information sites about the progress of the project; Media publication: First: Link; Link; Second: Link; Link; Third: Link; Link; Fourth: Link; Link; Fifth: Link; Link;
6) Created 1 online portal to enlighten the environment for conducting public procurement on the territory of Haskovo Region; ;
7) 2 experts engaged for updating and uploading data in the portal;
9) Conducted 4 trainings for municipal councilors from Haskovo Region, incl. developed and disseminated training. .
“Support for the Grantee Regional Municipalities Association „Maritza“ is provided by the America for Bulgaria Foundation. The statements and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the Grantee Regional Municipalities Association „Maritza“ and do not necessarily reflect the views of the America for Bulgaria Foundation or its affiliates”
The America for Bulgaria Foundation (ABF) is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonpolitical American grant-making foundation working in partnership with Bulgarians to strengthen the country’s private sector and related democratic institutions.
ABF builds on the success of the Bulgarian-American Enterprise Fund, an investment fund created in 1991 by the U.S. Congress with support from the U.S. Agency for International Development. For more information, please visit www.us4bg.org
Last update on: 07.08.2022.
